NBA draft lottery: Charlotte Bobcats to pick fourth

You can change the name, but apparently you can’t change the Charlotte Bobcats’ lottery luck. Roughly three hours after the Bobcats announced their intent to switch to “Charlotte Hornets,” the team got bad news in the draft lottery.

You can change the name, but apparently you can’t change the Charlotte Bobcats’ lottery luck.

Roughly three hours after the Bobcats announced their intent to switch to “Charlotte Hornets,” the team got bad news in the draft lottery. They will pick fourth on June 27 after finishing last season with the NBA’s second-worst record at 21-61.

This is the second year the Bobcats slipped in the lottery after a bad season. In 2012 they went 7-59 – worst record in NBA history – but drafted second behind the New Orleans (no longer) Hornets.

The draft lottery is a weighted process among the 14 teams which missed the playoffs. Only the first three draft spots are determined by the lottery. The Cleveland Cavaliers and Washington Wizards both slipped ahead of the Bobcats in the draft, despite finishing last season with better record.

The Cavs will pick first, the NBA-worst Orlando Magic will pick second and the Wizards will pick third.

It’s a reasonable guess Kentucky center Nerlens Noel and Kansas shooting guard Ben McLemore will both be gone among the top-three picks. Michigan’s Trey Burke could go to Orlando, since the Magic needs a young point guard as much as anything.